This document discusses the seven types of waste identified in lean manufacturing systems - overproduction, inventory, transportation, movement, waiting, over-processing, and correction. For each waste type, a definition is provided along with examples and questions to evaluate if that type of waste exists in a process. The document also identifies "power of brain" or underutilization of employee skills and ideas as an eighth type of waste.

1. Wuxi Lean Systems and Transforming Consulting Co., Ltd.
OVERPRODUCTION
7 WASTE AT WORK

2. Wuxi Lean Systems and
Transforming Consulting Co., Ltd.
Description OVERPRODUCTION
PRODUCING MORE, EARLIER
OR FASTER THAN THE NEXT
PROCESS.
PRODUCING MORE THAN THE
CUSTOMER ORDERED.
LEAN PRINCIPLE ASK YOURSELF
ONLY PRODUCE WHAT THE CUSTOMER
HAS ORDERED.
ARE YOU PRODUCING SOONER,
FASTER, OR IN GREATER QUANTITIES
THAN THE CUSTOMER IS DEMANDING?

3. Wuxi Lean Systems and Transforming Consulting Co., Ltd.
INVENTORY
7 WASTE AT WORK

4. Wuxi Lean Systems and
Transforming Consulting Co., Ltd.
Description INVENTORY
HOLDING OR PURCHASING
UNNECESSARY RAW
MATERIALS, WIP, FINISHED
GOODS.
LEAN PRINCIPLE ASK YOURSELF
ONLY PRODUCE WHAT THE CUSTOMER
HAS ORDERED.
DO YOU HAVE ANY RAW MATERIALS,
WORK-IN-PROGRESS (WIP), OR
FINISHED GOODS THAT ARE NOT
HAVING VALUE ADDED TO THEM?

5. Wuxi Lean Systems and Transforming Consulting Co., Ltd.
TRANSPORTATION
7 WASTE AT WORK

6. Wuxi Lean Systems and
Transforming Consulting Co., Ltd.
Description TRANSPORTATION
MULTIPLE HANDLING,
UNNECESSARY
TRANSPORTATION OF GOODS,
MATERIAL, EQUIPMENT AND
TOOLS.
LEAN PRINCIPLE ASK YOURSELF
AVOID TRANSPORT BY ONE-PIECE-
FLOW, CELL AND FACTORY LAYOUT.
IS THERE UNNECESSARY (NON-VALUE-
ADDED) MOVEMENT OF PARTS,
MATERIALS, OR INFORMATION
BETWEEN PROCESSES?

7. Wuxi Lean Systems and Transforming Consulting Co., Ltd.
MOVEMENT
7 WASTE AT WORK

8. Wuxi Lean Systems and
Transforming Consulting Co., Ltd.
Description MOVEMENT
ACTIONS OF PEOPLE OR
EQUIPMENT THAT DOES NOT
ADD VALUE TO THE PRODUCT.
LEAN PRINCIPLE ASK YOURSELF
ONLY PERFORM ACTIONS WHICH ADD
VALUE TO THE PRODUCT BY APPLYING
ERGONOMICS AND CELL LAYOUT.
HOW MUCH DO YOU MOVE MATERIALS,
PEOPLE, EQUIPMENT, AND GOODS
WITHIN A PROCESSING STEP?

9. Wuxi Lean Systems and Transforming Consulting Co., Ltd.
WAITING
7 WASTE AT WORK

10. Wuxi Lean Systems and
Transforming Consulting Co., Ltd.
Description WAITING
WAITING WASTE IS WAITING
FOR INSTRUCTIONS OR
DECISIONS, WHICH STOP THE
PROCESS.
IDLE TIMES AS WATCHING A
RUNNING MACHINES ARE
ALSO WASTE TIMES IN WHICH
OTHER OPERATIONS COULD
BE PERFORMED.
LEAN PRINCIPLE ASK YOURSELF
AVOID WAITING TIMES BY USING WORK
INSTRUCTIONS, MULTIPLE-MACHINE
OPERATION, LINE BALANCING AND
TAKT-TIME.
ARE PEOPLE OR PARTS, SYSTEMS OR
FACILITIES IDLE — WAITING FOR A
WORK CYCLE TO BE COMPLETED?

11. Wuxi Lean Systems and Transforming Consulting Co., Ltd.
OVER-PROCESSING
7 WASTE AT WORK

12. Wuxi Lean Systems and
Transforming Consulting Co., Ltd.
Description OVER-PROCESSING
DO WORK THAT THE
CUSTOMER HAS NOT
EXPLICITLY ASKED FOR,
• SUCH AS POLISHING
AREAS THAT DO NOT
REQUIRE POLISHING
• OR DEFINING TOLERANCES
AND SPECIFICATIONS FAR
IN EXCESS OF WHAT IS
ACTUALLY REQUIRED.
LEAN PRINCIPLE ASK YOURSELF
WORK AS EXACT AS NECESSARY AND
NOT EXACT AS POSSIBLE.
ONLY WORK MORE PRECISE, IF THERE
IS A VALUE ADDED, THE CUSTOMER IS
PAYING FOR.
HOW MUCH EXTRA WORK IS
PERFORMED BEYOND THE STANDARD
REQUIRED BY THE CUSTOMER?

13. Wuxi Lean Systems and Transforming Consulting Co., Ltd.
CORRECTION
7 WASTE AT WORK

14. Wuxi Lean Systems and
Transforming Consulting Co., Ltd.
Description CORRECTION
DEFECTS OR CORRECTION,
PARTS WHICH ARE SCRAPPED
OR RE-WORKED, ARE WHAT
MOST PEOPLE THINK OF
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT
WASTE, BUT THESE ARE ONLY
ONE SMALL PART OF THE
SEVEN WASTES.
LEAN PRINCIPLE ASK YOURSELF
PRODUCE ONLY QUALIFIED PARTS.
PRODUCE THEM ON THE FIRST
ATTEMPT.
DOES THE PROCESS RESULT IN
ANYTHING THAT THE CUSTOMER
WOULD CONSIDER UNACCEPTABLE?

15. Wuxi Lean Systems and Transforming Consulting Co., Ltd.
“POWER OF BRAIN”
8 WASTE AT WORK

16. Wuxi Lean Systems and
Transforming Consulting Co., Ltd.
Description “POWER OF BRAIN”
THE WASTE OF
• CREATIVITY
• TALENT
• PEOPLE
DEFINE IT AS YOU WILL, IT IS
IMPORTANT TO USE THE
PEOPLES KNOWLEDGE
WITHIN YOUR ORGANIZATION.
LEAN PRINCIPLE ASK YOURSELF
RESPECT AND INVOLVE YOUR
EMPLOYEES IN CONTINUAL
IMPROVEMENT OF ALL THAT YOU DO.
FAILURE TO DO THIS IS TRULY ONE OF
THE MOST SHORT-SIGHTED OF THE
SEVEN WASTES.
ARE THERE
• EMPLOYEE IDEAS,
• CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND
• TEAM WORK
IN PLACE?